Spring-securing element



United States Patent 1,874,050 8/1932 Kronheim Edward M'. Knabusch;

Edwin J. Shoemaker, Monroe, Michigan 758,742

Sept. 10, 1968 Nov. 17, 1970 La-Z-Boy Chair Company a corporation of Michigan.

lnventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee SPRING-SECURING ELEMENT 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. CL... 267/112 Int. Cl A47c 23/26 Field of Search 267/ 102- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,874,052 8/1932 Kronheim 267/112 2,158,441 5/1939 Thum 267/112 2,056,724 10/1936 Jackson... 52/718X 2,193,951 3/1940 Van Uum 52/718X Primary Examiner-Arthur L. LaPoint Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,717

INVENTORS SPRING-SECURING ELEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference may be had to the U.S. Pat. to E. M. Knabusch et al. No. 3,098,646 which discloses stamped elements extending through apertures in a rail of a seat frame for anchoring the ends of the seat springs thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to an element for extending through an aperture in the rail of a seat frame to providean eye on the opposite side which receives the end ota spring and secures it to the rail. The element is formed from a wire either individu'ally or in a strip to have a V-section provided with an arcuate'end struck on a radius to receive the diameter of the wire of a spring to be secured therein. The opposite ends are spread apart to form the V-shape element with the ends thereof bent outwardly to be substantially in alignment. The spacing of the free ends is such as to have an overall dimension greater than the diameter of the aperture which is reduced when the element is inserted therein to provide an outward bias for retaining the element within the aperture. When a large number of the seat frames are of the same construction with the apertures spaced in the same manner, the V-supporting elements are provided in a unit strip. The elements are spaced to conform to the spacing of the apertures which may be the same or which may vary relative to each other. When the strip is employed, the V-supporting elements are inserted in the apertures in fixed relation to the rail by the outward bias thereof. When the frames are not made in large numbers and where the apertures vary relative to each other, the individual elements are employed, each one being applied separately to an aperture with the inner end in position for receiving the end of the spring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The spring-securing element 6 of the present invention is made from a wire 7 having spaced V-shaped supporting portions 8 extending therefrom and located in the same plane. The V-shaped portions 8 have. an arcuate end 9, the inner diameter of which is substantially equal to the diameter of the wire of a coiled spring 11 which is supported therein. Open ends 12 of the V-shaped portions are spaced apart a greater amount than the diameter of the portion 9 to provide the V- relationship and an overall dimension which is greater than the diameter of an aperture 13 into which the V-shaped portions 8 are 'to be inserted. This produces a holding force for the strip 6 when all of the V-shaped portionsare disposed within the plurality of apertures I3 in a rail 14 of a chair frame. Sections 15 between the V-shaped supporting portions 8 are of a length to accurately locate the portions on the centerline of the apertures 13. The apertures are usually equally spaced so that the sections 15 will be of equal length but when the apertures vary in spacing the sections 15 likewise would be varied to have the V-shaped portions 8 aligned with the apertures 13. Before attaching the springs 11 to the ends 9 of the V-shaped portions 8, the strip 6 is applied to the rail 14 by having the V-shaped portions 8 pushed into the apertures 13 with the ends 9 projecting beyond the inner face of the rail.

The strip 6 will be retained in position by the spring effect of the open ends 12 of the V-shaped portion. One end of the springs 11 is hooked to an end 9 for supporting a link 16 and the end of a sinuous spring strip 17, the opposite end of which is secured to the front rail of the frame in the conventional manner. All of the sections 15 and terminal ends 18 rest against the outer face of the rail 14 and retain the V-shaped portions 8 against inward movement. The ends 9 extend forwardly of the front face a sufficient distance to permit the end of the springs II to be inserted therewithin.

In FIG. 4, a spring-supporting element 21 is illustrated formed of wire having the V-shaped portion 8 with the arcuate end 9 the same as that in the strip 6 above described. The ends of the wire at the opening 12 of the V-shaped portions 8 are bent outwardly to form abutment tangs 22 which engage the outer face of the rail 14. The individual elements 21 are placed within the apertures 13 in the rail and are retained therein by the force provided when the arms of the element are moved toward each other when inserted within the apertures 13. It will be noted that the V-shaped portion can be disposed in a horizontal plane or in a vertical plane or in any angle therebetween depending upon the type and the position of the spring to be supported thereby.

In FIG. 5, a strip 24 is illustrated wherein the V-shaped portions 8 are disposed in the vertical plane with wire sections 25 therebetween disposed in angular relation to each other. This strip is useful when it is desirable to have the openings in the ends 9 be disposed in aligned relation to each other.

We claim:

1. In combination with a rail of a seat having spaced apertures therethrough, spring-supporting elements having straight wire sections forming arms disposed in V-relation from an apex and of a length greater than the thickness of the rail for extending through the apertures. the free ends of the V- shaped elements having aligned oppositely directed laterally extending wire sections in the plane of the elements, the spacing of the free ends of the diverging arms being greater than the diameter of an'apertu're so as to move toward each other when the arms are forced into an aperture to provide a holding force for retaining the supporting element therein before a spring is attached to the apex thereof, the apex extending forwardly ofthe inner face otthe rail forming an eye for receiving the end of a spring the diameter of the wire of which is sub stantially that of the eye opening.

2. In a spring-securing element as recited in claim I, wherein the extending ends of the sections are continuous between the elements to form a unit strip.

3. In a spring-supporting element as recited in claim 2, wherein the V-supporting elements all lie in a common plane.

4. In a spring-supporting strip as recited in claim 2, wherein the V-supporting portions are disposed in parallel relation to each other, with the eyes disposed in aligned relation and the joined extending ends are disposed in parallel spaced planes. 

